R h n hardy collection
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| RH255 One of my favourite box photos on a Sunday morning in summer 1939 from Hyrons Lane bridge S of Amersham and where the gradient eases from 1 in 105 after the bridge. Each Sunday in 1939 excursions ran to Sheffield, Nottingham and I think to Derby at 0950, 1000 and 1005 ex M’bone. They were usually ten coaches or more and I never saw one hauled by other than a B3 4 cylinder, almost invariably 6166, 6167 and 6168, all Caprotti engines and very good indeed for the job. “Valour”, 6165, also worked the job from time to time. My mother expected me to go to Matins with her and so it was a mad rush after the 1000 had passed at about 1035. I never recall seeing the 1005. Here, 6168 “Lord Stuart of Wortley” is climbing the last stretch of the bank on the point of blowing off steam and the fireman has put a good poultice in there to last him until he starts to climb up to Dutchlands, the next summit. The men were in No 2, the piped goods link who did all the Manchester lodge jobs at night with heavy freight and B7s, also 4 cylinder engines. Let it be understood these engines were splendid performers, both classes, and would pull a station and stop block (if required). Michael Kerry (who retired after a distinguished legal career) and I always had a summer treat, and in 1939 it was on the 0950 to Sheffield and back late in the evening with 6168 and the same men throughout the day, a book off job and gold dust in 1939.
RH256 A F4 “Gobbler” at Fenchurch St in 1937, 7782, shedded at Stratford. RH257-RH312 - 1937 NOTTINGHAM AND LEICESTER GC, KINGS CROSS, MET BO-BO, AMERSHAM 1936-40, IPSWICH 1950-52, WOODFORD 1949-50 AND 1966 RH257 GN C12 of the second series 4513 at Nottingham Vic on a GN suburban train heading north for Derby or Ilkeston. As he is taking water the train could have come through from Gedling and Colwick. April 1938. RH258 1936. A poor photo: The Leicester C4 that would work the 1215 ex Marylebone on a slow up about 1015 from Amersham. The scene is completely different from today. There are houses and flats where the grass is, and council offices, police station and medical centre behind where I stood to take the photo; there was one rough track across the field used by cyclists aiming for the station. RH259 Finsbury Park station. This road was used by suburban and freight services for Kings Cross Goods. The old “Raggy” 4657 has a partially fitted train. The K2s did good work wherever they went and, from the GE section to the West Highland, they were good old sloggers with no comfort, a stick lever reverse, no seats worth the name and the regulator handle a pullout up in the roof. The M&GN men hated them for these reasons when they replaced D16s, the acme of comfort even though they had their own engines and some splendid work. RH260 4471 class A1 “Sir Frederick Banbury” No 10 platform at Kings Cross in 1937. Not a good photo of the engine but the observers were dressed according to their generation, and where are they now? RH261 One of the 1200 HP Met electrics in the dock at Ricky waiting for a steam hauled service for Baker St to arrive. Donald Douglas, an old friend and Motorman Syd Tapper of Neasden and his Assistant “Digger” Hyde, son of Len Hyde a well known Met steam driver at Neasden. LT uniform included a blue overall jacket. Photo about 1943 on a Sunday pm. RH262 Amersham in 1936/7. The 1606 up all stations Leicester-Harrow-on-the-Hill, fast to Marylebone including all stations between Ricky and Harrow which were then Met&GC and of course there was no quadrupling in those days. Eng 5504 “Jutland” for many years a Neasden engine which has worked down to Leicester on the 1000 Bradford. RH263 1937. The first time, except back in 1931, that I saw a Fish engine. 6071 class B5 at Leicester Central on the goods road, splendid mixed traffic engines with a good turn of speed on express passenger work such as Sheffield-Hull or Lincoln-York. They worked most of the passenger jobs at Mexborough during the war and all of them when the D10s 5429/31 had moved to Sheffield and the D9s elsewhere. RH264 1937. The very fast 1655 Marylebone-Manchester (108” to Leicester and change engines and away in 2-3” – marvellous to watch). B3 6165 passing Amersham at about 45 mph with six coaches. Very powerful engines which could run well up into the 80s but had no need to do so if the driver gave them their head uphill. The ideal job for these engines was the 0232 Paper train, the fastest of all the down trains, or the Night Mail loaded up to 14 coaches, a load rarely, if ever, exceeded in the days of the Pacifics in later years. (Movement of engine at 1/25 sec). RH 265 1826 ex Marylebone-Woodford arriving at Amersham at 1903 with Eng 5473 class B7, a regular on the train and probably a Woodford engine. First stop Amersham and arriving on time, 37 minutes but invariably checked almost to a stand near Chorley Wood by the down Met to Chesham. Once the road was clear at Chorley Wood, the 4 cyl would roar into the attack of Amersham bank and generally arrived on time; no mean feat. My holiday treat to the London stations or the Oval/Lords always ended with a front compartment journey home behind the tender with our heads outside all the way. Note the engine is blowing off after climbing the bank: grand engines. Ignore all the claptrap you hear about the big Robinson engines being no use. RH266 At Aylesbury, early Jan 1940. It is the 1027 slow up from Woodford, the return working of the 0400 Mail and paper train to Leicester which Neasden men worked to Woodford returning with a Woodford engine in this case 6084 class C4. Driver Jack Procter, the youngest of the pre-war top link and Fireman Jack Floyd who left the railway after the war. When Jack Procter retired in 1945, he gave me his book “The Locomotive Today” published by the Locomotive Publishing Co in 1900, signed in beautiful copper-plate writing so different to the slap happy signatures of today. He had started at Sheffield in 1896 and come to Neasden as a f9ireman in 1899 when the railway was opened. RH267 Driver Syd Glenn (the man-killer) and Fireman Jack Goodchild of Neasden on the 0815 Marylebone-Leicester slow at Amersham in 1942. Normally the train was worked by a V2 or a B3 but this Woodford engine had got on the job. Her glory days were over, and she was still at Woodford when I got there in 1949, in a very rough state as she is here. 2851, class B17, “Derby County” and we were to meet again when I became ADMPS Stratford for she was at Clacton along with 1650/1662/1666. RH268 1700 Marylebone-Nottingham at Marylebone in 1938, 2867 “Bradford” shortly before departure. The old signal box on the right became the office of the London Running Foreman and was used by the District Locomotive Inspector based on Neasden. RH269 Aylesbury 1943. Derek King (R) was a Doncaster apprentice with me and came to stay at Amersham for a short weekend during which we had a journey to Aylesbury and back with Driver Len Hyde, a good old friend. The fireman’s name I did not know, only that he eventually became a driver at Cricklewood. Eng 5046 another Neasden stalwart. RH270 Jan 1940 Caprotti 6167 class B3 1350 M’bone-Woodford and a time exposure. Driver Bill Collins, fireman for the day and Fireman Bill Palfreyman of Neasden. Bill was a very dear friend who lived until he was 94 and died at Marlow in 1980; the funeral took place by the Thames on a glorious day. Bill had a temperament to match. Bill was killed at Neasden, crossing the main line in the dark in the late fifties and he often wore a boiler-suit. A number of GC men at Neasden, Woodford and Neepsend joined the artisan’s overall club and had a clean pair of overalls each fortnight as I did during my apprenticeship. RH271 Aylesbury, 1944. A5 5003, Driver Gerald Pope (Old Popey), a well known character and hard runner. A Met man but now at the GC shed. He is wearing the Met cap (padded like that of the chauffeur of the day and very comfortable) and Met overalls similar to those of the SR and GWR needing braces as they only came up hip high and were not “bib and brace”. Nothing ever got Popey down even when the Neasden engines deteriorated after the war until the new steam brake L1s came along as well as D W Harvey and F C Clements as shedmasters. RH272 May, 1940. B3 6166, Earl Haig, at Amersham. 0815 M’bone-Leicester all stations and return with the corresponding slow due in M’bone at 1806. The engine then worked the night mail to Leicester in both directions until the Pacifics and V2s were established: the above was sometimes worked by one of Neasden’s two V2, 4830/45 but not the Mail. Fireman Ted Mahon, and Driver Ted Simpson, the senior driver at Neasden who hailed from Brunswick, Liverpool and came to Neasden in 1898/99 as a fireman. He had been driving since 1911 and firing on the main line for at least five years. He started on the MS&L (CLC) in 1891. A dear friend to me and great encouragement in my career: he retired in April 1941, three months after I started at Doncaster. Lived on the GC estate nearby the shed at 48 Gresham Road, Neasden. His wife was Liverpool-Irish and a lovely lady. Their son, Charlie, was killed when the V2 he was driving was derailed during single line working at Barby near Braunston in 1955. RH273 Ipswich, 1951 where I was shedmaster from April 1950-Aug 1952. Eng 1569 class B12 in Ipswich Loco. The Ipswich LDC were as good as any I have worked with and a good mixture. On the left, Bert Coleman, Shed staff rep who had done all the jobs: tube blowing, boilerwashing, coalman, labourer, nights down the Tram Shed/Lower Yard coaling on regular nights and was a most conscientious man for he revelled in hard work in which he had great pride. Amongst his many duties were the old lavatories virtually out in the open in the yard. Now and again he would call me to inspect them, his pride and joy, seats scrubbed white. He was as straight as a die and lived until he was well over ninety. Next is Arthur Brooks in the Main Line Goods link, a very likeable man who had a good line in patter and excellent at defusing the few sharp disagreements that we had with his rather lofty turn of phrase. He too lived until he was well over ninety. F W Newby, Chief Clerk to the DMPS Norwich and present because we had just concluded a meeting. Fred Thorpe, driver along with Maurice Hood of 1566, B12, was the Chairman, very direct and abrupt and one of the best and straight as a table top. A ROD fireman in France in 1917-18 and a great asset to the LDC. He died young at about 74-75. Lastly, the most remarkable of all, the Secretary, Driver Ernie Payne whose engine was the B1, 1201. He started in 1911, went to France in 1915, promoted Captain in the field in 1918, joined RFC and returned to his link position in 1919 as fireman. He fired for over two years to Driver George Pinkney, Branch Chairman ASLEF and Chairman of the MIC who also ran 8535 on the Ipswich-Manchester lodge job. Ernie was passed for driving in 1929, quick promotion for those days. In the last war, he was Major Payne, Offer Commanding the Ipswich LNER Home Guard and his shedmaster V Gilchrist was one of his sergeants. He had vast trade union experience and he was a joy to work with. We had complete understanding and trust and could move mountains. He also lived until he was 92 and I went to his funeral for we had kept in touch ever since I left Ipswich in 1952. RH274 A Sunday morning in June 1952 in Ipswich Loco. In the background the running Shed which held four of the ninety one allocated. 1253, class B1 is standing on the short pit and has just been washed out. It will be lit up, cleaned and then work an evening job to London. L-R: Arthur Rumbellow (Rummy), Running Foreman, a likeable man but a very laid back foreman; Fred Locksmith, Shed Turner, an excellent if fiery man. The turner had to be a third foreman when it came to shed arranging in that impossible shed yard. Fred was given, in times of stress, to throwing his shunting pole on the ground and stamping on it. Jack Baldwin, a very able man although rather laid back which did not always suit me. He left the railway long before his time. Harold Alen, NCT (non-clerical timekeeper) and captain of the Ipswich Loco Cricket XI for which I used to play. RH275 Sunday morning, June 1952, north end of the running shed. 1634 “Hinchingbrooke” had just been washed out, examined with great care by Charlie Ransom, boilermaker for the chargehand Charlie Winney demanded the highest standards of workmanship. L-R: Maury Smith, the giant boilerwasher; Jack Reed and Charlie Ransom, Boilermakers; and Chargehand Tube Cleaner, Pom Hagger, whose son had been killed just before my arrival at Ipswich on the B1, 1057 at Witham, Mar 1950, Driver Birch. All four were first class men at their job. RH276 London End of Ipswich Loco; none of the engines are over a pit so we had room for four tender engines in the shed and two tender engines over pits at each end (total allocation 91!). Two of our excellent L1s which often worked an express to Liverpool St on a Sunday on a tank of water: 1056, with 1054 one of our spare B1s. RH277 1705 Ipswich-London 1059 Driver Frank Cocksedge, Fireman George Lown but why she is carrying stopping train headboards is a mystery. She always looked a picture and the cab was like a jeweller’s shop. Her footboards were scrubbed with soap and water twice a week and the wood was white as was the hood, the inside of the cab roof. RH278 Taken at Bentley on a Sunday in 1951, some trials the purpose of which I have long forgotten. There were two B1s, I think, and two crews, three Loco Inspectors, a Traffic Inspector and a Fitter from Ipswich Loco. L-R: Arthur Kemp on the eve of retirement, the last pre-war Manchester driver; Bert Dixon, HQ Loco Inspector, Liverpool St; Sam Jenkins, Chief Loco Inspector, Motive Power Dept, Liverpool St; Bill Slack, Dist Loco Inspector, Norwich, a GC man from Staveley; Syd Barley, District Traffic and Signals Inspector (nobody better), Ipswich; Charlie Podd, Fitter; Passed Cleaner B Maile. Sitting: Fireman D McKie and Driver Alf Pettitt. Additionally, I was there, the only one not paid overtime at Sunday rates of pay! RH279 The country end of the yard at Ipswich Loco. L-R: Enginemen’s messroom and Running Foreman’s office alongside of Running Shed; water tank and sandbin; bicycle shed home made, B1 standing on the old turntable road which also led to the water softener. Another B1 standing on the only disposal pit, two engines other than the London end pit which took three engines. Hand coaling takes place in and outside the shed beyond the B1 and the coalmen were assisted by the old RB10 down the “Digger” for which coal was thrown from wagons by hand, Delays were unknown waiting coal and tenders were usually well coaled with good coal but not always and thereon lies a tale. On the RH are the roads leading to the “Digger” and used for stabling and preparation. RH280 Sunday morning in 1952. I was taking photographs just prior to my departure from Ipswich for Stewarts Lane. L-R: Jack Cage, Fitter 2 (semi-skilled); Eric Birch, Fitter and Turner of excellence who became Outdoor Machinery Foreman at Fleetwood in the Shipping Dept before transferring to Newhaven. I met him years later at a talk I gave in Seaford about l989, a small world; Ernie Simpson, his mate and Eric Boyle who worked with Jack Cage; all excellent, Ernie being on the breakdown gang. RH281 A group of Ipswich men who conducted affairs on my behalf! L-R: 1) Percy Sparke, son of J F Sparke appointed DLS Kings Cross straight from Stratford Works without any Running experience and therefore “carried” for a time. Percy was appointed Mechanical Foreman without any running experience and was helped enormously by his Chargehand Fitter, Jack Percy. In 1956, he moved to a safe haven at Colchester. 2) Arthur Percy, brother of Jack and primarily safety valve fitter. He was, in fact, Alderman Arthur Percy JP, twice Mayor of Ipswich. Although hampered by deafness, he adorned both his profession as a railwayman and his civic duties. 3) Charlie Winney, Chargehand Boilermaker, without a shadow of doubt the best chargehand boilermaker I have met on the railway. Ipswich engines were never in trouble in respect of any branch of boilerwork which included all ancillaries such as boilerwashing, tube blowing etc. 4) Jack Percy had forgotten more about steam locomotives than most people will ever know. How wonderful that I was blessed with such men whose fleet of engines were second to none. 5) Ernie Rivers was a character and spare time waiter at the Station Hotel. He was also our list clerk, a performer of great eccentricity in a job that needed the closest attention to detail. When pressed to find men for Sunday working he would enter the mythical name of ‘Smith’ to close the gap knowing the Running Foreman could always conjure men from somewhere. Complaints were often lodged against “that bloody Rivers” and yet men would do anything for him; he was a sergeant in both wars, the second under Major Ernie Payne of the Ipswich LNER Home Guard. Lastly Archie Hatch, ex-driver crippled in an accident. He had been a big union man and knew exactly what could and could not be done. He prepared weekly and six monthly rosters amongst many other jobs, invariably correct and well ordered and he restrained Ernie on many occasions; the pair was a splendid combination. RH282 Norwich District Locomotive Inspector Bill Slack at Bentley on the occasion of HQ trials. I wish I could remember for what purpose. Bill was ex GC Staveley and went to Norwich for his driving job. RH283 Norwich under Bill Harvey might have done what we did in the interests of running the railway but I doubt it. But we reckoned to be streets ahead of Norwich so it did not signify. In the summer of 1952, six weeks before I left for the Southern, 1634 collided with another engine in the yard and came off second best. The tender was seriously damaged and should have gone to Stratford Works for repairs. However, we had a railway to run and both Chargehands suggested to me that if the breakdown crane would lift the body off the chassis and I would agree for the tender to be placed on blocks in front of my office, the job could be cut out and a new section welded into place. This was done and the initiative of Jack Percy and Charlie Winney (both left) resulted to a return to traffic in two days instead of three weeks to a month. On the right is Bill Dunnett, our painter who added the finishing touches. RH284 1059, class B1, on a Sunday morning in March 1952 before being cleaned and standing on the “Back Hadleigh” road. On the gangway are George Ellison, fitter on Syd Lincoln’s shift, Ted Waldridge, Cyril Rudland, Fitters, and Jack Percy, Chargehand, all high class artisans. RH285 Driver Ernie Payne and his trusty fireman, Ted Barrell against their B1, 1201, on the North Country Continental at Bury St Edmunds in 1952. Ernie was an outstanding man in every way. He was a gentleman, had served in France in the ‘14-18 war and been commissioned, finally being trained as a pilot in the RFC. He was Major Payne in ‘29-45, commanding the railway Home Guard with some efficiency. One of his sergeants was Vic Gilchrist, his blunt and very able shedmaster, which led to comic situations when Victor was caught smoking on duty. Ernie became a great friend and to say I trusted him as Sec of the LDC is putting it mildly. He was a great asset to me, to the men he represented and to the depot. He was a first class engineman and lived happily until he was ninety two, respected by everybody. Ted Barrell said it was an honour to come to work with him and to be paid for the privilege. He was a splendid strong fireman and told me years later that, on Ernie’s sixtieth birthday, on the 0717 London and the down Easterling Liverpool St, first stop Yarmouth, he insisted that Ted did the driving throughout. Not only this, but he cleaned the fire in London before the non-stop run. RH286 Outside the offices in the old Ipswich shed with the “Leah shelter” (put up by our carpenter so that Driver Ernie Leah could collect ASLEF subs on pay day without being drowned) and the water tank and oil stores beyond. Syd Lincoln one of the three splendid shift Chargehand/Examiners and Percy Sparke, Mechanical Foreman. RH287 The Ipswich breakdown gang was very good and these two men played the leading part. Left is the crane driver, Charlie Dack, who was killed when the new shed was under construction and a load slipped due to the sudden movement of the shed turner’s “Mike”, a J15. After my time so that I can see Charlie, a lovely character as I remember him. Right is Stan Stiff, a member of the gang but with a difference. He knew exactly what the crane would do and all the moves better than I or either Percy Sparke or Jack Percy. So at a derailment, we would agree a plan of campaign and Stan would execute it, bearing in mind that the man i/c was responsible. Stan never let anybody down and he loved breakdown work and any big challenge. He was, in fact, a fitter’s mate but, once at work on the job he would not have interference from anybody other than the foreman or shedmaster in charge and this included District Officers! RH288 Closing of the Mid-Suffolk Railway in July 1952. Eng 5447 class J15 “Westinghouse Goods” at Haughley ready to leave with the last down train. Fireman Jack Law who was made redundant next day and was transferred to Kings Cross in the Leeds Link and then into the Newcastle link with Driver E Hailstone, some change from a very rural railway where the fireman and then guard dealt with the crossing gates. Psd Fireman Joe Skinner, once on the B1 1058 as a fireman, volunteered to work at Laxfield as a driver for some months with great success and totted up a good percentage of driving turns to reach his first 313 before the other junior passed men had reached fifty. Joe did an excellent PR job on the MSLR and many were the passengers he and Jack entertained on the footplate. RH289 5447 at the head of the last down train from Haughley to Laxfield. GE Westo four car set worked the branch from 1951. No nonsense about keeping passengers away from the engine in those days. The Laxfield “General factotum” Harold Howlett is between the uprights and he came for the ride on the last day. RH290 General view of 5447, driver’s side showing Westo pump, bridle rod, RH injector clack valve and vacuum train pipe to front buffer beam along the gangway. RH291 Passed Fireman Joe Skinner and 5447 standing at Haughley before working the last train to Laxfield. RH292 The Ipswich crane always kept clean by Charlie Dack. It was a 20 tonner but lifted far more than that as did the famous 36 tonner at Stratford. Both cranes had relatively short jibs and were beautifully proportioned. Charlie Dack and Stan Stiff, the key members of the gang. See RH287. RH293 1570 class B12 which belonged to Jim Trenter and Freddy Gibbs. It was a marvellous engine in perfect order mechanically and Jim was very particular as well I know as shedmaster. A Sunday morning in the early spring of 1952. She is in steam and has been “dug out” and will shortly be turned for up road and placed over in the Back Hadleigh where she will be cleaned before the cleaners finish at 1400 and later made ready for the 1730 Liverpool St. RH294 The engine is 1651, a Woodford B17, very rough when I went to Woodford but after some unwilling attention at Colwick not too bad and fit for fast train work. On the ground in Woodford Loco is: left, Hubert Merrivale, Foreman’s Assistant who was devoted to Pom French his Foreman although they had some hefty rows being both vigorous and outspoken. Hubert lived in Moreton Pinkney which was served by two stations, on the GC at Culworth and on the “Nibble” main line from Blisworth to Stratford-on-Avon (S-on-A and Midland Junction Railway) which we could reach at Woodford West Jc. In the centre is Peter Adams, a fireman and a splendid young man. He was an orphan and was adopted by Driver Mark Andrews in my time in the top link. Finally, Pom French as dedicated railwayman as you would wish to meet and a legend in his lifetime. When he retired, he stayed on as a guard and a very sharp pointed pencil he wielded if he was behind a Woodford man who was prone to lose time. I last saw him in 1966 on my last visit to Woodford before closure which must have hit Pom hard. But I can hear his voice as I write. Download 0.62 Mb. Share with your friends:
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